JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The YWCA Greater Johnstown will honor nine women for their accomplishments during an awards ceremony May 22 at Ace’s, 316 Chestnut St., in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.
The 38th annual YWCA Tribute to Women awards ceremony will begin with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by the announcement of honorees, dinner and acceptance speeches.
“We are proud to announce a new slate of women for 2025 who reside not only in the Johnstown area, but also in Ebensburg, Portage, South Fork, Loretto and even Cresson,” said Valerie Deater, event chairwoman. “These women have walked paths in their communities, improving the quality of life for their neighbors, committed to excellence in teaching while inspiring and mentoring women to achieve success in their field and be their best. They are exceptional leaders, and the YWCA is proud to recognize them with these awards.”
Diane Lopez, YWCA Greater Johnstown board president and the 2013 Yellow Rose Award recipient, will emcee the awards ceremony.
Renée Carthew, the 2013 YWCA Business Award recipient and editor of The Tribune- Democrat, will deliver the invocation and introduce the honorees.
Arts & Letters
Debbie Baxter has been recognized with the Arts & Letters Award.
The Portage resident is an employee of Ray Oil & Gas Co., 629 Dulancey Drive, in Portage.
A graduate of Portage Area High School, Baxter attended Maryland Medical Secretarial School in Hagerstown, Maryland, and graduated as a medical assistant.
She worked in the medical profession prior to working full time at Ray Oil & Gas Co., which was owned by her father. Following his death, she took over the business and operated it until selling it to Martin Oil Co. in 2023. She plans to retire in December.
Baxter is a member of Bethany United Methodist Church in Portage, where she leads the Praise Band.
Business
Becky DeYulis is the Business Award honoree.
The Ebensburg resident is the owner of WorkLink Staffing in Ebensburg. The Central Cambria High School graduate pursued a career in nursing at Altoona Mercy School of Nursing and worked as a pediatric nurse in regional hospitals.
In 1999, she, along with her family, opened an At Work Personnel franchise, and in 2005, she became the owner. Now known as WorkLink Staffing, 3135 New Germany Road, Ebensburg, the business assists more than 200 companies across Cambria, Blair, Indiana and Westmoreland counties.
DeYulis has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Ebensburg for 23 years, and is a member of the Ebensburg Main Street Partnership, the Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce, Human Resources Association of the Alleghenies and the Cambria County Nurse Honor Guard.
Community Service Volunteer
Stacey Lewis has been recognized with the Community Service Volunteer Award.
The South Fork resident is a graduate of Forest Hills High School in Sidman, and earned a degree in accounting from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a teaching certificate from the University of Pittsburgh.
She dedicated 30 years to Forest Hills School District as an educator.
Lewis is the founder of South Fork Heritage Days, spearheaded the creation of South Fork Winterfest, coordinated the launch of the Christmas Cookie Walk and directed a beautification initiative to adorn South Fork streets with flower planters. She also serves as treasurer of the South Fork Library board and is a member of the South Fork Borough Council.
Education
Angela Seidel will receive the Education Award.
The Johnstown resident is a professor of accounting and the chair of the business administration department at St. Francis University in Loretto.
She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, a master of business administration degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in business administration with a specialization in advanced accounting from Northcentral University in Scottsdale, Arizona. She also is a licensed certified management accountant and a certified financial literacy education instructor.
In 2020, Seidel was elected as the first woman chair of the business administration department at St. Francis, and in 2021, she was recognized by the Institute of Management Accounting with the Accounting Faculty of the Year Award.
She is a member of West Hills Community Church and a volunteer with various service organizations, and she has created personal finance education programs for various audiences.
Lady Liberty
Jessie Mullen has been recognized with the Lady Liberty Award.
The Johnstown resident was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps through the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she received a degree in psychology.
She served 10 years in the Marine Corps, retiring in 2019 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Enrolling at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Mullen received a teaching certification in social studies.
She is employed as a teacher at Ferndale Area High School, where she also serves as an assistant coach for the cross country teams.
Mullen serves on the board of the Conemaugh Valley Veterans.
Nonprofit
Ashley Flynn is the Nonprofit Award honoree.
The Loretto resident is the executive director of the Cambria County Library.
She received degrees in English writing and English literature from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in library science from Clarion University. She served as director of Cresson Public Library, Gallitzin Public Library and Highland Community Library.
In 2016, Flynn took a position as district consultant at the Cambria County Library. She was promoted to executive director in 2019, and also works as system administrator for the Cambria County Library System and the district administrator for the Johnstown District.
She serves on the legislative committee for the Pennsylvania Library Association and is the treasurer of the Association of Pennsylvania Public Library Systems.
Professions
Louann Hoffman is the Professions Award honoree.
The Cresson resident is the broker/owner of Lang Real Estate and Tax Services in Cresson.
Starting her career as a paralegal, she took an interest in the real estate part of that profession.
After working as a Realtor for many years, Hoffman decided to become a real estate broker.
She also works as a tax preparer, notary and PennDOT agent.
Hoffman serves as the District 8 vice president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors.
STEM
Jacqueline Hockenberry has been recognized with the STEM Award.
The Johnstown resident is a geologist with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of District Mining Operations, and J. Hockenberry Environmental Services.
A graduate of Conemaugh Valley High School, she received a degree in geology from Juniata College in Huntingdon.
Hockenberry worked as a geologist at L. Robert Kimball and Associates in Ebensburg, prior to opening Melius and Hockenberry Environmental Services Inc. with Wendy Melius. The business, now named J. Hockenberry Environmental Services, is celebrating its 29th year.
Hockenberry recently joined the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Cambria District Mining Office, as a licensed professional geologist.
She is a founding member of the Northern Alleghenies Geological Society and participates in the annual Field Conference of Pennsylvania Geologists.
Yellow Rose
Andi Palmar is the Yellow Rose Award recipient.
The winner of this award is chosen by the YWCA Greater Johnstown Board of Directors.
The award recognizes someone who represents the philosophy of the YWCA, dedicated to eliminating racism; empowering women; and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
The Johnstown resident is executive director of Operation BeYoutiful, which since its inception in 2019 has provided wigs at no cost to more than 400 women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy or other medically related hair loss conditions.
Palmar serves as director of human resources for the family-owned Memorial Highway Chevrolet.
She has served on multiple community boards throughout her career, dedicating many hours to initiatives such as cancer research, food insecurity and animal shelters.
Read the full article here
